We live in a world where technology is developing as a rapid rate. Work Industries are rapidly progressing from manual based sources to technological, propelling industry and employment opportunities into the technological world we once saw as science fiction. Our recreational activities are also becoming technologically centred with computer games such as Wii and Play Stations, 3D televisions and computer accessibility on mobile phones becoming more affordable to our society. However, our educational inclusion of technology in learning is very low. Brush and Hew tell us that, “A total of 123 barriers were found from the review of past empirical studies. In order to provide a coherent and parsimonious description of the various technology integration barriers, we classified them into six main categories: resources, knowledge and skills, institution, attitudes and beliefs, assessment, and subject culture. These barriers are listed in order of the relative frequency in which they were mentioned in the studies reviewed (2006, p, 226).
The three most important areas that need consideration by teachers in relation to providing worthwhile education to today’s students are the individuality of all students, the content that needs to be taught and understanding different learning styles and their value in different learning contexts through the inclusion to technological tools. Teaching technology or eLerning is the encouraging of technology based learning through the participation of students in relevant tasks that promote productive learning for today’s society in develops a readiness for future learning (Schneider & Evans, 2008. p. 1). Today’s educators need to become proficient at the inclusion of technological tools for their students to ensure we are educating our students to be current and productive citizens in today’s society. Technology affords us a vast variety of tools that we, as educators, can incorporate into our pedagogies to not only promote technological learning but all learning through methods that children are being exposed to in their everyday lives.
Four tools that I enjoyed working with and could see implemented into a classroom are Imaging, Powerpoint Presentation, Podcasts and Blogs. These tools lend their application well to eLearning. They are all highly visual, allow for the showcasing of student creativity, promote learning through hands on interaction, blend together to form creative learning avenues and most importantly, allow for individuality of student expression, evaluation and learning. There is great value to be gained from implementing these technological tool into today’s learning as all four not only offer valuable learning through students individual use but also can be incorporated in education to build social interactions not only through face to face applications but through distances which otherwise would prove impossible. We can look at what the use of these tools can offer to today’s learners best by evaluating it through Blooms taxonomy. Both cognitive and affective domains are incorporated by learning through the incorporation of all four tools. They not only incorporates knowledge skills such as comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation but can also be planned to encourage affective domains receiving, responding, valuing, organisation and characterisations (Isaacs, 1996. p. 2-3). When planning for eLearning we need to ensure the pedagogies relate to the tools we are incorporating into the learning experience to ensure children are afforded a high level of learning that is valuable to each student in the class.
One of the most famous quotes in the world is the following by Napoleon Bonaparte,
“A picture is worth a thousand words.”
There is a valid reason for our familiarity with this simple message. Images are a truly wondrous and invaluable tool for all learning. The value of images for me in providing worth while learning to today’s students can be seen in my Blog post for week four below.
“In a society that is so technical and hands on images are a great way to draw learners into learning. We are surrounded my multimedia images daily, so much so that we may not even be aware. From our cereal box at breakfast to street signs as we drive to school or work, signs on trucks and cars images surround us with their subliminal messages. We need to utilise their familiarity, impact and effect on children in their learning.There is a valid reason for our familiarity with this simple message. Images are a truly wondrous and invaluable tool for all learning. The value of images for me in providing worth while learning to today’s students can be seen in my Blog post for week four below.
One picture can tell as many stories as the number of people that look at it; they are passports to our imaginations. Pictures and diagrams that are accessible online are invaluable to society because of its accessibility to such a vast diversity of people.
Images are every bit as valuable to learning as the written word through, promote imaginative thought and creativity, incite discussions , providing learning through different perspectives, provide value to how we perceive things, give understanding of the conception of others through the variety of our differences. an extension of our individual languages, lead to understanding and can forge connections across barriers of language and ability”
In week three I recorded my belief of the benefit of Powerpoint Presentations in today’s education. My blog is included below.
“There applications in teaching could be limitless because of their adaptability, flexibility and level of learning through creativity. Imagine a science SOSE lesson on space done through the incorporation of PowerPoints. The visual and audio inclusions would make for a fantastic and education lesson. Instead of listen to a teacher talk about the suns solar flares or seeing the pictures in a book video could be incorporated into the presentation. Think of an assignment presented as a PowerPoints with colour, visual and audio inclusion by a student as opposed to a cardboard poster and how this presentation would impact not only that students learning but also the fellow students through inclusion afforded by the Powerpoint presentation. I find Powerpoint presentation to be a great, creative, simple and entertaining way to promote learning, so much so that I have created one to post in my blog to demonstrate my opinions. However, like all other technologies they are only as productive as the user will allow them to be.”
Powerpoint presentations are a wonderful technology for teachers to incorporate into learning because of their simplicity and how easy they are to use lending to their utilisation by teachers and students to encourage learning through the inclusion of technology. We are able to benefit learning in our children with the use of PowerPoint’s as they encourage students confidence, organisation, time management, developing researching/referencing skills and self reflection, motivation and evaluation. I have included the link to my Powerpoint below to demonstrate their use.
http://samarapatterson.weebly.com/powerpoint-presentations.html
Powerpoint presentations are a wonderful technology for teachers to incorporate into learning because of their simplicity and how easy they are to use lending to their utilisation by teachers and students to encourage learning through the inclusion of technology. We are able to benefit learning in our children with the use of PowerPoint’s as they encourage students confidence, organisation, time management, developing researching/referencing skills and self reflection, motivation and evaluation. I have included the link to my Powerpoint below to demonstrate their use.
http://samarapatterson.weebly.com/powerpoint-presentations.html
We live in a society that never seems to have enough time. We are constantly running around, doing several things at once, trying to squeeze a week into a day. This is why I feel that Podcasting would be a fantastic tool to introduce into our school systems. They are easy to upload, small and lightweight devices that can be utilised anywhere, any time. Student would be able to listen to a lesson at a time that was convenient to them, replaying as many times as needed to ensure understanding. It also offers them the time to analyse what is being inferred, how they feel about the topic and why the find it important.
“The application of learning with Podcasts are endless and the benefit to the wide variety of different typed learners is astounding. The uses of podcasting in today's education can be quite varied limited only by the teacher’s level of creativity. The benefit to children suffering serious illnesses that result in long visits to hospital, children whose families travel due to their parents work, children living in remote areas, children with disabilities and even children lacking in self confidence in their learning or that have learning difficulties would all benefit greatly from Podcast introduction into learning. Images of its application are running through my head at the moment, children living on remote properties learning musical instruments, biology lessons outdoors listening to scientists on Podcasts, truck drivers being able to download directions to properties to collect livestock, emergency service operators being able to download directions to to patients and police being able to download interviews for review at times and locations more convenient to them."
My only concern, which keeps raising its ugly head when we talk about introducing new technologies into education, is the cost. Who is going to be responsible for the purchasing of the IPods? Will the Government be able to improve the Education Budget for all institutions to fund their purchase or are parents going to be accountable for the costs? These questions need serious consideration but must not be allowed to override the importance of embracing this technology.
Blogging is a static website which is an interesting tool that would lend itself well to inclusion in today’s educational setting, providing benefits for educators, parents and students. It is an eLearning tool that can be utilised to: allow for the provision of information for parent at a time that is convenient to them while also providing the opportunity for them to digitally respond, support two way dialogue to promote learning through assessment and evaluation by both students and educators and provides for professional development by teachers through online interactions with other teachers.
Blogging is a static website which is an interesting tool that would lend itself well to inclusion in today’s educational setting, providing benefits for educators, parents and students. It is an eLearning tool that can be utilised to: allow for the provision of information for parent at a time that is convenient to them while also providing the opportunity for them to digitally respond, support two way dialogue to promote learning through assessment and evaluation by both students and educators and provides for professional development by teachers through online interactions with other teachers.
For my week two blog entry titled, “Static Website Reflection,” I also made mention of how I found the creativeness of the tool which is included below.
“I am finding the amount of creativity affordable to the construction of these technologies limited and am not sure if it is due to my limited technological experiences. I enjoy being creative and using lots of colours, especially when creating interactive information for children and have found the colours and types of fonts available now have no real variety.”
The one concern that repeatedly appear when talking about the application of technology in learning is who is going to meet the cost of supplying these tools that are essential in providing our children with the current and worthwhile education they need and deserve as the developing adults of our future? Our Government needs to recognise the importance and value of eLearning for children in today’s society and the impact that this learning has on us not only as a Nation but also our relationship with the rest of the world. Technological advancement affects all areas of our lives from medical advancements to preservation of food and space travel. Imagine your reaction if you went to a financial institution and a staff member pulled out an abacus to add up with!
We need to be moving forward technologically at a rate that keeps us current with the rest of the world and the place to start is with our education system. Our children are the product of a technological society. It is imperative that we harness this precious human resource and develop it to its fullest extent to ensure we are, as a Nation of today’s World, self sufficient enough in our technology to be able to prosper and develop both as an independent country as well as a major player in the worlds future. Our aim is to generate a method of teaching that provides today’s learners with the skills to not only explore research, construct, implement and apply digital technologies but also be able to acclimatise their learning to incorporate the development of new technologies to promote further technological growth through their learning (DETA, 2008, p. 6). Technology will continue to develop, there is no going back. We need to ensure that our students are not only provided with technological understanding but also the resilience to adapt to their ever changing society to ensure we are able to have future growth as a nation. The following quote by Peter Drucker sums up learning perfectly,
“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.”
Resources
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